Twin Rivers YMCA hoops league excels in first year

Chris Blakely, a student at Craven Early College, shoots a free throw during the championship game of the Twin Rivers YMCA Y-Bern Basketball League on Thursday. More than 40 kids, between the ages of 14-18, played in the eight-week league for teenagers.

Adam Thompson, Sun Journal Staff

By Adam Thompson, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 06:32 PM.

Chris Blakely is not a fan of the NBA’s Miami Heat. Instead, he cheers on the New York Knicks.

But for the past eight weeks, he was representing the Twin Rivers YMCA version of the Heat.

And like LeBron James or L.A. Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant, Blakely came through in the clutch — draining a game-winning basket from the baseline on Wednesday, sending his team to Thursday’s championship game.

“I felt like Kobe out there,” said Blakely, a student at Craven Early College. “It was a close game. I took it to the baseline, when it came off my hands, it felt good.”

Blakely, 18, was one of 42 players competing in the two-month Y-Bern Basketball League, hosted by the Twin Rivers YMCA.

The Heat clinched the championship with a win over the Blue Devils on Thursday evening.

It was the premiere year for the league of teenagers between the ages of 14 to 18.

Chris Blakely is not a fan of the NBA’s Miami Heat. Instead, he cheers on the New York Knicks.

But for the past eight weeks, he was representing the Twin Rivers YMCA version of the Heat.

And like LeBron James or L.A. Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant, Blakely came through in the clutch — draining a game-winning basket from the baseline on Wednesday, sending his team to Thursday’s championship game.

“I felt like Kobe out there,” said Blakely, a student at Craven Early College. “It was a close game. I took it to the baseline, when it came off my hands, it felt good.”

Blakely, 18, was one of 42 players competing in the two-month Y-Bern Basketball League, hosted by the Twin Rivers YMCA.

The Heat clinched the championship with a win over the Blue Devils on Thursday evening.

It was the premiere year for the league of teenagers between the ages of 14 to 18.

“There has been wonderful feedback. The parents love it, the kids love it and they are out here playing for the right reasons — they’ve shown good sportsmanship and the teams have been very even,” said Tara Moore, the Twin Rivers YMCA Sports Director.

There were six teams, capped out at eight players per squad. The league was designed for teenagers of any skill level.

They play four 12-minute quarters, and play by high school rules. The games were played every Friday, excluding the final week — a six-team tournament where each unit was seeded based on their record.

The quarterfinals were Tuesday, the semifinals on Wednesday and the finals on Thursday.

“It’s a different league that promotes the mission of the Y — good sportsmanship, character values and it gives them a chance to grow their skills,” said Moore.

What began with a draft in March, concluded with its finale on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils, with sharpshooter John Tayloe, lost just one game — on championship night.

Other teams included were the Bulls, Bucks, Knightmares and Winston Salem St.

“It’s really fun because a lot of my friends are in it, and it’s fun to play basketball with them,” said Tayloe, 14, a freshman at New Bern High. “We’ve done pretty well. We played pretty good together as a team.”

A group of organizers invited the registered players to the YMCA, evaluated them, then held a blind draft to place them on teams.

Moore said they divided the teams equally.

“We have some out here that are playing in high school, then we have some 14 year olds that would never feel comfortable to try out for the high school basketball team.

“Each team got a star player (level five) and a first-year player (level one).”

Moore is hoping to continue the basketball league into next year, and beyond.

Registration for next season will be in January, with league play going from March through May.

The fee is $40 for Twin Rivers YMCA members and $60 for non-members.

“The best thing about this league is getting kids together to play basketball,” Blakely said. “Not everyone makes the high school teams or their school teams.

“I got to (Craven) Early College and we don’t have sports teams, so it’s easy for us to come out here and get some competitive basketball games instead.”